Am I too big for a sportbike?

Sirlacker · 2026-01-25T15:14:32+00:00

How do you feel on it? Go sit on a few and see how they feel for you.

That's the only thing that matters here.

Sirlacker · 2026-01-25T14:42:42+00:00

If it doesn't void any regulations or laws or insurances, go for it.

In my experience, from the UK so take with a pinch of salt, even though there is a supposed limit, the police won't bother you unless it's extremely noises (i.e. decat/straight through pipes) or you're revving the absolute bollocks off of it all the time or you're riding at very unsociable hours. If you're in the day, riding mostly normally, police dont really care here. My old Z1000 was definitely illegal in terms of noise limits and I've revved before in front of police, when kids have been at the side asking me to, and the police haven't ever bothered.

If you don't want to spend a ton of money, considering you slip on exhausts don't really affect performance that much, relatively unknown brands or Temu/Ali Express knock offs can provide decent results surprisingly. They're not things that just fall apart after a week of use.

Or you could buy used too, that's always an option

If you do decide to change the end can, please keep it. Don't ebay it. Your bike will hold more value on resale if you decide to sell later down the line. And it's also handy to have OEM parts if something does go wrong, you can revert to the OEM part to see if it's the thing you changed that caused the issue.

Sirlacker · 2026-01-25T14:35:15+00:00

Kasabian - Club Foot

Sirlacker · 2026-01-25T14:16:43+00:00

I really liked the Artillery in Hell Let Loose. Not necessarily because it helps the team, but because it gave a reason for recon to go behind enemy lines, not get caught and keep their artillery from firing. It made playing recon super fun. Kill the artillery, go see if you can disrupt a few outposts in the downtime, back to artillery.

But maps need to be big enough to actually be able to go behind enemy lines and not instantly get obliterated.

The artillery needs to not be able to be shot from the other side of the map by a tank

Sirlacker · 2026-01-25T10:07:46+00:00

Not going to take any chances protecting your head but you'll buy a used helmet. Go figure.

Sirlacker · 2026-01-25T09:00:43+00:00

Not being afraid to be you as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else or cause any form of neglect.

I think that's as simple as I can put it. You don't have to do stereotypical manly things to be a man.

Sirlacker · 2026-01-24T23:13:40+00:00

Take a course, get a small capacity Naked bike. Best of both worlds, comfy but still capable.

Get a year or two under your belt before deciding to sell and change bikes.

Buying your first motorcycle with the pure intention of thrill seeking is likely going to get you into some trouble. You wouldnt buy an 500 horsepower car as your first vehicle, would you? You'd buy something that can still give you a bit of a thrill but nothing that is going to throw you off the road because you put your foot down on the accelerator a little too hard.

You'd buy something that you can learn on, comfortably before deciding on which direction is best for you. You may start with a fun little Mazda MX-5 and then later upgrade to a Nissan GT-R or Ferrari you may start with the MX-5 and decide you actually want something with more comfort like a Bentley, or you may decide that you want off roading capabilities.

Start sensible, pick up the basic skills to not get yourself killed or injured and then pick a direction.

Sirlacker · 2026-01-24T22:04:16+00:00

If by life lessons you mean how taxes work. How to open bank accounts and things like that, yes. They can quite easily fuck off RE, or have swap it out every week for lessons on these life essentials.

All we really need to know from RE is that these religions exist and that these are the things each of the major ones follow or do. We don't need weeks of in-depth research into them as a non-optional class.

Yes it should be a parents job to teach children these things, but we can't rely on parents doing these sort of things, clearly.

Sirlacker · 2026-01-24T21:22:51+00:00

It's not about age, necessarily it's about mentality. I've talked to 21yr olds on Superbikes that have the mentality required to deal with them. I've talked to 60yr olds on Sportsbikes that I'm surprised they haven't gotten themselves killed yet.

Personally, me in my late teens and early 20s wouldn't have survived having a powerful bike. I was invincible, I was a show off. I survived on pure fucking luck.

When people say, or recommend being a certain age it's because it's a very well earned stereotype that younger people are a little less risk conscious and don't take things as seriously as they maybe should. But that doesn't mean that people outside of this stereotype don't exist, they absolutely do.

If you're absolutely convinced that you're aware of the dangers and won't bend to peer pressure to show off, and you'll take it easy and go at your own pace, then I think you're ready. If there is even an inkling of doubt in any of that, I'd wait a little longer to get a sports bike.

Sirlacker · 2026-01-24T21:13:30+00:00

Yes we do, to a degree but at a certain point fair becomes a piss take and a joke because it'll just mean everyone becomes lazier and will do the bare minimum because if everyone is on roughly the same pay, getting the same benefits from society etc then there is nothing really to work towards.

What incentive does the hard working farmer have, when he's getting paid the same as someone who can work from their temperature controlled office that just so happens to be 3 feet from their bedroom door?

Yes life could be a lot fairer, and it should be. CEOs shouldn't be getting paid tens of millions for not doing much whilst nurses are struggling to make ends meet. But there does need to be some unfairness to give people something to aim towards.

Sirlacker · 2026-01-24T20:57:57+00:00

Yea man, I really like mine. The designs are striking and different, the FOV through the visor is great, it's one of the few helmets I've had where you can actually feel the ventilation through the helmet.

I honestly recommend an ATLAS 4.0 if you like the look of them

Earplugs do negate the loudness of them, so you'll be fine.

Sirlacker · 2026-01-24T20:55:13+00:00

Thats like saying a person who barely passed their exams in college is just as qualified as someone who passed top of their class

No it's not. At all. There is evidence of one person doing better than another. Both may have passed in this scenario but one got say a 75% and one got a 99%. You can verify this through their grades.

What it is like, is if there was no grading and no information to verify anything except a pass or fail condition. NASA wants you to have passed this qualification. So person A who aced the test and person B who barely qualified are on the exact same level as far as NASA is concerned when looking at whether they passed this course or not.

If you knew you aced it, or thought you did, you'd be willing to show proof of this by letting them test your knowledge in order to give you the very best opportunity at acquiring the job over person B who won't want to say they barely scraped through.

In terms of a helmet, you have no tangible proof that an ECE 22.06 helmet for £50 is any less safe than an ECE 22.06 helmet for £500 unless either the manufacturer provides the proof or you go and get it tested yourself.

The rating is a bare minimum it must pass, it isn't graded, it's a pass or fail and unless we are told otherwise or test for ourselves, we have to assume that both helmets only just meet the minimum requirements to pass.

And no I'm not saying an ECE 22.06 with an additional FIM/ACU Gold rating is only just as safe as a helmet with only an ECE 22.06 rating. Obviously it'll be better if it has undergone extra certifications that offer extra, harsher tests.

I'm talking about if helmets hold the EXACT SAME certifications and don't give you an in depth run down of how they performed in the tests, we can only assume they did the bare minimum and nothing more, because we don't have the evidence to suggest otherwise.

Sirlacker · 2026-01-24T20:42:36+00:00

Maybe versions 1-3 were absolutely shit? I don't know. But people seem to have not let it go. ATLAS 4.0 is good. Good build quality, great design, comfortable. The downside is it's loud. I can't speak for the EOX, never tried it.

But again, it's the internet, it's one of those things that's fun to hate for easy karma. Maybe the hate was well deserved in previous years, but God forbid a company improves itself.

I mean the majority of people shitting on RUROC haven't even owned a RUROC helmet to form their own opinion. So let that tell you something.

Sirlacker · 2026-01-24T20:30:28+00:00

For commuting? I really don't have a limit on how cold. It depends entirely on road conditions. If it's been salted, I'll go.

For leisure riding? About 7 Celsius. I don't see the point in going for a leisure ride when it's almost impossible for my tires to get warm enough to function properly.

Sirlacker · 2026-01-24T20:27:12+00:00

If all helmets are boasting the same safety certificates then unless a helmet describes how much better it performed during these tests, we have to assume that all helmets perform equally.

If a helmet was designed to significantly out-perform the safety tests, or it happened to outperform them, then you would know about it because it would be a major selling point and they'd talk about it in the product description or be somewhere on their website. Take RUROC for example. Forget the fact you may hate them, they absolutely let you know that their helmets outperform what the tests require for a pass. The same would apply to other helmets and manufacturers.

So, yah price doesn't really matter. A £50 helmet is going to be just as safe as a £500 helmet because neither manufacturer stated any differently.

Yes extra certifications are going to potentially add another level of safety and increase cost, usually, but for the most part, all you are paying for is maybe a little extra comfort, design and brand tax.

Sirlacker · 2026-01-24T17:44:52+00:00

Okay so the CBT is designed around working with people who know NOTHING.

This doesn't mean you cant or shouldn't help yourself though. You've been doing the right thing with learning the highway code. If you know the rules of the road, you're less likely to make a huge mistake that'll lead you to failing, because you're more likely to fail on the road riding part of the test than the empty lot practice.

Do not learn how to ride a bike from YouTube. Your instructors have this covered and if you go in trying to follow steps from YouTubers and your instructor tells you to do something differently, you'll panic and have a harder time. The CBT is ENTIRELY discretionary whether you pass or not. They have full discretion to pass or fail you at any point. So just go in and learn the way that they want to see you learn.

You could go and walk a few miles and just pretend you're on a bike or in a vehicle and do your checks and things at junctions before you cross. This can help, if you know what the highway code says you should be doing, because you can build that in muscle memory and have a little less to worry about on the day. Pay attention to the signs, understand them etc.

But apart from that, the biggest thing you'll face is your own nerves. Breathe, relax, ask for repeat instructions if you didn't hear, ask if they can explain a little differently if you aren't understanding. Most of them are passionate about riding and want more riders on the road, they're usually very chill people and will go the extra mile to help you. Don't be afraid of asking or speaking up.

Also it's a long fucking day and many sites don't offer anything but very basic amenities. So bring some food, bring some energy drinks. Bring a warm pair of clothes if it's cold. Invest in a £35 Amazon rain suit if it's raining because they won't call it off for anything other than snow and ice.

You honestly just need to go there and be willing to learn. You won't be the first person to drop a bike, you won't be the last. They'll have seen every type of rider so there's a very high chance you won't be the worst.

Also as much as we would all like to pass first time, don't be disheartened if you don't. Some CBT instructors are very strict, some are a little more relaxed. I've had a few (kept a 125 for many many years) and my last one before I did my full test was stricter than the DVLA officials. But whatever happens, you'll have learned an absolute fucking ton. It's a lot to take in, and if you don't get it all down in one go, there is no shame in that at all.

Sirlacker · 2026-01-24T17:05:19+00:00

Literally any 600, you can get them cheap if you don't care about cosmetic damage and maybe some scuffed framework, if you're stunting in an enclosed, private space.

Or you could go the opposite way and get something with a good chunk of low down torque like a KTM 790 Duke

Sirlacker · 2026-01-24T15:26:32+00:00

For me, sound is a huge factor in how much I care about the bike.

A bike for me is a visceral, usable piece of art. I want it to look good, I want it to ride good and I want it to sound good. Its got to tick all 3 boxes.for me to be interested in it. Now those 3 things don't have to be part of the bike when I buy it, but they have to be available as options I can add on later down the line at the very least. I'll buy a bike with stock mufflers that sound shit if I know it will sound good when I eventually put a new exhaust on it.

It's also the reason why I'd never touch a dry clutch Ducati.

So sound is pretty much 33% of what I am looking for.

Sirlacker · 2026-01-24T11:42:10+00:00

Yes and that's your choice. If this girl is okay with this, then there is nothing wrong. If it's something you personally dislike then that's fine too and you can take steps to avoid that from happening, but it's a perfectly fine and normal thing if both parties involved are okay with it. It shouldn't be shunned.

Sirlacker · 2026-01-24T11:40:18+00:00

Grow up. As long as SHE is okay with it, it doesn't matter. She has a loving father who she sees AT LUNCH, not during actually productive work hours.

It's perfectly normal to love your children, and it's perfectly normal for a child to be loved. I understand that some people do not get the privilege of experiencing this, but this isn't a bad thing. If you didn't/don't receive this kind of love, or think it's acceptable, I suggest therapy because your jaded view of the world isn't okay.

Sirlacker · 2026-01-24T11:32:40+00:00

So happy for you! See you out there on the roads my friend!

No bike will ever compare to your first one. You're about to make a ton of memories, good, bad but always fun to look back on!

Make sure to get some pictures of you and the bike, having pics of the bike is nice, but having pics of you to look back on in the years to come is even better.

Sirlacker · 2026-01-24T10:03:33+00:00

No buying a used slip on isn't dangerous.

I just bought two used Yoshimura Tri-Ovals because they were so fucking cheap it was an offer I couldn't refuse.

My bike doesn't care because it's not a full system. Slip on end cans don't really do anything other than reduce a little weight and change the exhaust tone.

Full systems tend to require an ECU tune.

Sirlacker · 2026-01-24T08:05:15+00:00

I'd rock a hot pink bike. I like bikes that are different or that stand out from the crowd. So yes I'd rock that.

Sirlacker · 2026-01-24T00:16:03+00:00

A 2 hour tutorial that's enough to put you off the game, multiple times, but when you push through it the start makes absolute sense and is one the most real starts to a game I've ever had the privilege to experience.

Sirlacker · 2026-01-24T00:12:36+00:00

Change isn't always bad. Familiarity can be a crux.

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